Shaven-headed striker Henrik Larsson proved to be a cut above the rest as he produced a late header to salvage a point for Celtic in a 1-1 draw with Aberdeent at Pittodrie.

The new-look Swede, who had his dreadlocks chopped this week, rescued a point after it threatened to be Robbie Winters' day after the in-form striker had bagged his fourth goal in two games.

The late sending off of Bobby Petta meant that Celtic had to dig deep for the last eight minutes to secure a share of the points which keeps them two points ahead of Hibernian at the top of the Premier League.

Martin O'Neill's side again showed great resolution after their gruelling trip to Finland in midweek, but they were buoyed by their Uefa Cup second-round draw against French side Bordeaux.

Aberdeen, however, were also on a high after their 5-3 victory over Dundee United and it was them who made the brighter start and in the fifth minute Jonathan Gould had to gather a dangerous cross from Darren Mackie.

Celtic, however, came back into the game and Aberdeen keeper Ryan Esson had to save low from Alan Thompson's 25-yard effort in the 10th minute and three minutes later Larsson blasted wide with a 30-yard free-kick.

But Aberdeen should have had a penalty in the 14th minute when Derek Young flicked the ball into the path of hat-trick hero of last week Winters and Tom Boyd sent him crashing in the box with a reckless challenge.

The referee Mike McCurry, however, waved away the protests which angered the striker and the home fans and Boyd was fortunate to survive a penalty and a red card.

A minute later Johan Mjallby deservedly received a booking for a reckless tackle on Chris Clark as the game started to hot up.

Thompson then found himself space in the 21st minute and delivered a dangerous cross to the back post, but Larsson could not get on the end of it and Kevin McNaughton was on hand to clear the danger.

Thompson tried his luck in the 29th minute with a dipping effort from 25 yards which Esson comfortably saved.

But Celtic suffered a blow in the 37th minute when Thompson suffered what looked a hamstring injury and he was replaced by French defender Stephane Mahe.

That did not seem to affect the visitors and in the 42nd minute they came within inches of taking the lead when Larsson hit a 30-yard free-kick which took a deflection from Eoin Jess which took it just past the post.

A minute before the break and Mahe almost got on the end of Larsson's chip, but he just failed to reach it.

But Pittodrie erupted in the last minute of the half when Jess found Derek Young and he threaded the ball through to Winters, who coolly lifted it over the on-rushing Gould.

O'Neill was forced to make another change at the break when the injured Paul Lambert was replaced by Lubo Moravcik.

Celtic stretched the home defence in the 49th minute when Jackie McNamara got to the by-line but the Scotland international's pull-back went behind the waiting Chris Sutton and the chance went begging.

McNamara made amends moments later when he found Petta with a great throughball, but the winger's cross across the face of goal was hit just too strongly for Sutton to get on the end of it.

The frustration of the visiting fans began to boil over and linesman Graeme Kerr appeared to get struck by a missile and referee McCurry came to have words with the fourth official on the touchline.

But Aberdeen looked dangerous on the break and they should have doubled their lead in the 62nd minute when Jess crossed from the left to Winters, whose header looped just over the bar.

They had another chance when Clark took David Rowson's ball in his stride, but blazed over the bar with just Gould to beat.

The fans' frustration was beginning to get to the players and Petta received his first yellow card in the 73rd minute for a show of petulance after clashing with Rowson on the touchline.

But Celtic grabbed the equaliser in the 80th minute through Larsson, who had all the time in the world from eight yards out to head Moravcik's cross back into the corner of the net.

It was his 13th goal this season and that gave the visitors the impetus, but they suffered a huge blow just a minute later when Petta picked up his second booking of the game for a late tackle on Philip McGuire and he was sent to the dressing room.

Celtic faced an anxious last eight minutes, and their relief was plain to see at the final whistle.